After last weekend’s manic crash at the Eddie Soens and
writing off my week old Dedaccai Scuro race bike, I’d like to say a huge thank
you to my sponsor http://www.vanillabikes.com/ for sorting a new bike out for me in just 4
days for this weekend! Truly the best sponsor in the world! Thank you Kevin,
Tracy and Brian for building my new one up so quickly!
On Friday 8th March myself and my dad travelled
to Ireland for a weekend of racing over there at the Ras Naomh Finian and the
Newbridge Grand Prix. We stopped with
our good friend Paddy Fitzsimons, who had helped myself and my Mountivation
team mates last year at the Gorey 3 Day and the Junior Tour of Ireland. Also at
the European Road Race Championships in August with the Irish National team. I
have a really good friendship with Paddy and I honestly think he is the nicest
man I have ever met.
We arrived in Dublin Ferry Port at approximately 10 past 5
where we collected my bike and our bags and met up with Paddy. Once we’d packed
the ‘team car’ (which Paddy calls it, as it is an old Cycling Ireland team
car), we headed off to his for some food.
A chicken and veg special was in order, Paddy the Chef! Once stuffed
with food it was time for a quick leg massage from big G and it was time to
catch some sleep for the race the following day.
My first race of the weekend was the Ras Naomh Finian, it
was an out and back race covering about 43 miles (70km).
On the Start line of Naomh Finian.
Setting off with about
90 A3 and Junior category riders, we headed out of the quiet town of Clonard,
and whizzed down the main road. The racing is different over in Ireland as the
fields are a lot bigger and you have many riders who are willing to get away in
a move and willing to drive it and work well together. However, this race went
a little differently to normal. It was a tail wind on the way out where we were
hitting speeds of up to 50mph at some points and a block head wind on the way
back. So there was no chance of anyone getting away, which meant it was going
to be a bunch sprint.
However, I wish I had thought this through whilst racing!
With about half an hour into the race, there was a lone rider for Usher, who
broke away on his own and his team mates were controlling it on the front. I
stupidly decided to jump across to him because I had good legs and felt
confident; I got up to him and went straight through. I looked under my
shoulder and he wasn’t there, I was now out on my own in no man’s land like a
numpty wasting energy for no reason. I then realised as soon as I was getting
caught everyone was sprinting for the King of the Hills competition to win some
prize money. I’d been caught about 100m before the line! Once round the
half-way point we headed back into a head wind back towards the finish town of
Clonard. I stayed near the front and out of trouble. With about 10km to go,
there was a crash containing many riders. However what was left of the bunch
was all together and heading into the 3 roundabouts which signified 5km to go
to the finish. We came into the long finishing straight and I was 3rd
wheel waiting for the cavalry charge to start behind me. 500m to go… I was now
forced onto the front with everyone sat behind me, I waited for a move…. And
then one came, they started up the sprint, so I opened up mine with about 250m
to…. However into a block head wind, was a bad idea. With about 50 meters
before the line, I was passed by about 30 riders. A disappointing day and a lot
to learn from.
After getting washed up and dressed we headed back to
Paddy’s to get some food, get a massage and recover for the next day’s race in
Newbridge. We were joined for tea in the evening by Paddy’s girlfriend and
logistics coordinator for Cycling Ireland, Susan O’mara. We had a lovely meal
and chatted away about life and the world of cycling before getting some sleep
to recover for the next day’s race.
I woke up at about 8 o’clock, ready to get breakfast and
leave the house by 10am to get to the race HQ in Milltown at 11am for the
Newbridge Grand Prix. Today’s race was 40 miles long, 4 laps of a 10 mile round
circuit, round the country roads of Newbridge. I woke up determined to win today and had
learnt from my mistakes the day before.
After arriving at the race HQ and Milltown football club, I
headed to get signed on and get my numbers ready to neatly pin on to my race
jersey. After to chatting to one of the vets in the race, I discovered there
were a few climbs on the circuit and the race was likely to split up and a
group to go away. Keeping this in mind, I headed back to the car to get changed
and ready to roll.
I rolled down to the start about 20 minutes before the
start. It was about 5 degrees and a dark and dull day. It felt more like -1
degrees! It was freezing. Dad and Paddy were there at the start line with the
team car to make sure I could sit in there until the start to make sure I was
as warm as possible for the start. After having a bit of a banana I was ready
to rock and the race was underway.
The natural array of attacks got underway and the race
whizzing down the narrow country roads of Newbridge. I knew there were some
climbs on the circuit and I knew the first time round the circuit I had to be
up near the front to check them out. Before the first climb of the day there
was a small group of 3 riders clipped off the front so I thought I’d jump
across to test the legs and see what the climb was like.
In the first move of the day.
Coming into the last lap the group had been whittled down to
6 riders and we now had a 45 second lead on the bunch. Once over the final
climb of the day, I clicked into the big ring and prepared myself for sprint at
the end. With about 900m to go there was an attack from one of the A3’s in the
break with us, he was dangling off the front of the group until about 300m to
go, until I found myself on the front. I wound it up in the saddle and then
kicked. I looked under my shoulder and I had a gap. I kept going and caught the
rider out front with about 150 meters to go. I kept it going…. Looked under my
shoulder with about 30 metres to go and punched my fist into the air.
I am delighted to have got my first win of the year! I would
like to say a huge thank you to the organisers, marshals, commissaries, volunteers
for all their help for putting on a great race today!
A huge thank you also goes out to Paddy Fitzsimons for
looking after myself and my Dad this weekend and being such a great guy!
On the start line of Naomh Finian.
Massive thanks again goes out to Kev and Tracy at http://www.vanillabikes.com/ for all their help and support so far this season, I honestly can’t thank
them enough for all their support! Thank you so much!
Thank you to Simon and Bev at Luscombe Plant Hire for giving
me the day off on Friday to travel over there to race this weekend and letting
me chase my dream! Thank you! http://www.luscombeplanthire.co.uk/
And finally a massive
thank you to my Dad, step mum and Mum for supporting me and believing in me on
those dark, wet, cold days of the winter training and telling me it’s worth it.
And today it all paid off!
Thank you for reading, no doubt I will be putting another blog out soon!
Jack
No comments:
Post a Comment